


Tulips and tea

by gaydelrey



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: A Bit of Fluff, F/F, Lesbianism, Mutual Pining, a bit of pining, coffee shop!, flower shop!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:27:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27301921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaydelrey/pseuds/gaydelrey
Summary: Jaime likes tulips and she likes tea. She hates coffee.Dani works in a coffeeshop.Flowershop/Coffeeshop AU
Relationships: Dani Clayton/Jamie
Comments: 56
Kudos: 338





	1. one

Across the street from The Leafling, a coffeeshop had recently opened. Jamie was a bit disappointed that her favorite teashop had closed down and was now being replaced by a place where they sold the dark monstrosity that was coffee. At least it was a small, private-owned one and not another Costa or Starbucks. Personality was something that this Hackney street still had.

London hasn’t always been the northerner’s home, but it was the city that most felt like it. She had moved all across the UK, but finally found peace and settled down in the south. Well, it was mostly peaceful. She rented a nice flat above a pub, so noise she had had to be accustomed to. She couldn’t complain that much, she actually found herself downstairs, having a drink quite often. Usually to blow off some steam and look for some company.

She wished to have a garden, but that’s not exactly easy to find in London. She was thankful to at least have a balcony, where she could offer her darling plants some fresh air and sunlight. The young woman had always preferred plants to people, much less demanding, a quality she cherished a lot. At home she grew mostly herbs and various assortments of wildflowers she’d picked over the years and brought with her from home to home.

The previous owner of the former tea shop had been an old little lady who’d so gladly accept Jamie’s flowers as payment for a brew. The lady was a widow with no children, but always seemed chipper and glad to talk about whatever arrangement Jamie had just worked on. They used to chat a bit about flowers and tea, Jamie genuinely liked her company and was sad to hear when the lady sold the shop and moved out to the countryside. 

She had never been one for coffee, couldn’t understand how people enjoyed drinking bitter sump water. When it came to drinks, she wasn’t picky and would drink everything with a high percentage of alcohol. She could order an Irish coffee if it was cold and she was already drunk, but it would never occur to her to go get a coffee in the middle of the day, sober.  
She wasn’t necessarily bitter, she thought, just over all a bit displeased.

The florist couldn’t help but think badly of the workers across the road, she took it rather personally that they had replaced her favourite shop on the street, other than her own. She didn’t want to go over there to say hi, especially not welcome them. Maybe she was a bit harsh, but to be fair they had taken away her precious tea and instead sold coffee. 

The owner was probably some stuck-up wanker, hating on tea for some reason. No, she was not stuck on the whole ”tea vs. coffee” debate, she just liked tea. And mildly disliked coffee. That was it.

With her back turned to the entrance, she heard the door open and bell ring. She turned around with a vase in her hand to greet her first customer of the day.

”Hi.” A blonde woman with a nervous smile said across the counter.

”Hello there,” Jamie replied. ”What can I do for you?”  
She immediately heard the woman was American and it made her wonder what business she had in England.

”So, my boss just sent me over to buy some flowers for decor,” The American started ”Uh, I work just across the street, we opened up earlier this week.” She gestured out the window, towards the new store.

Of course. The coffee people were American. 

”Well aye, if you’re looking for flowers you’ve come to the right place.” Jamie looked at the woman and then across the street. ”So what are you looking for, eh?”

”Oh, I’m not sure,” The American awkwardly chuckled. ”I was hoping you could give me some recommendations. I just want something that looks pretty, something that my boss will be pleased with me bringing back.”

Blimey. Apparently American coffee-people don’t know anything about what they want. This one was a lot less forward then the yanks she was used to meeting, and that was a good thing.

”You plan to keep them on the tables?” The English woman hoped her customer would know that at least.

”I think so…”

This is going well, she thought.

”Well, if you’re going to, then you need vases as well, eh? Let me show you which vases suits which flowers.” The florist was good at doing her job, whether she supported the cause of the flowers or not.

”Thank you.” 

The blonde bit her lip and looked around the shop. She anxiously fiddled with the hem of her sweater. Starting a new job is always scary, she didn’t want to disappoint anyone, let alone her boss. While shopping for flowers may not be the most important task, she still felt like she was doing something essential for the store. She just wanted to do well.

”So is selling coffee and buying flowers what brought you to England? Is there none of that in America?” Jamie asked while deciding what colour flowers she’d show her buyer.

”Oh, not really. I’ve been doing substitute teaching for a while now, but I was looking for something more permanent. Back home I worked as a teacher, love kids, I’ve also had a couple of nanny-jobs that were lovely.” The, apparently former teacher, smiled.

”So you just Mary Poppins-ed your was across the pond with an umbrella and landed in a coffeeshop?” She snorted and put various coloured tulips into a tall vase.

”Something like that, yeah.” The American looked over to her own shop to see if anyone were waiting for her to come back, she didn’t want to take too long.

”Here you go then, Poppins, what do you think about these?” Jamie turned around and held up the vase for her customer to see.

She thought the woman in front of her was pretty, maybe a bit too pretty to just serve people coffee. 

”I love it!” The pretty coffee-server said. ”I was thinking about twelve sets of those.”

”Then I’d have to get more flowers, I’ll put in an order. Twelve sets you said?” The florist noted as she scribbled on a piece of paper. ”In what name?”

”Danielle Clayton.”

”Hm, sounds American.” Jamie looked up at her.

”People just call me Dani.” The other woman responded.

”Still American. Right then, Dani, come over on Friday and I’ll have your order ready for you.” The Northerner said and put down her pen. ”You can take these back with you, to show to your boss, I’m sure he’ll like them.”

”Thank you.” Dani said with a smile and accepted the vase of tulips. ”I’ll see you Friday, then.” She looked at the flower shop owner one last time before she opened the door and exited.

Maybe she had been wrong about the people in the new shop across the street, Jamie thought. Maybe she had been a little too quick to judge them, she was after all one to judge others. Surprisingly, the American she had just met was not obnoxious and loud at all, she was actually rather sweet. And definitely pretty, Jamie thought.  
Definitely.


	2. two

Serving hot drinks wasn’t Dani’s biggest dream, she wasn’t very good at it either, but at least it was a paying job. She wanted to get back into teaching as soon as possible, she liked the children much more than grumpy pre-coffee people at seven in the morning. 

She found out she couldn’t make coffee even if her life depended on it, so she tried tea, no luck there either. Eventually she wasn’t allowed to make the drinks anymore, just serve them to customers, do the dishes and clean up. 

As an American, she was not a regular tea drinker, but couldn’t herself find anything wrong with the brews she made - however her boss said otherwise.  
Thankfully, the customers were mostly polite, not that Dani was bad at taking criticism. 

The job wasn’t all bad, she couldn’t complain, some things were actually good. Like the pay, her landlord was thankful she finally had a monthly income, the coffee shop was also close to her little flat, only a few streets away. 

She loved the smell of freshly baked bread and pastries in the morning, it warmed her and made her feel like home. She felt very welcomed by the boss and the other young woman that worked with her.

And of course there was the flower shop across the street, or rather the florist inside it. Dani had been over in the middle of the week to take at look at some flowers for table decorations when the woman behind the counter had distracted her.  
She had been met by a very English brunette in overalls, a beautiful one. She wondered if all British women were that good looking. What was in the water over here?

Her wavy hair was messily tied up at the back, leaving a few strands of hair framing her face.  
Her eyes were dark, but still had a certain spark in them and they were accompanied by a pair of slightly furrowed eyebrows. Dani definitely felt like she could get lost in those eyes, drawn into the depth of them, she almost would have if she hadn’t remembered she was there on an errand.

Although it was hard to remember said errand when the English woman talked to her, her voice deep and soft, only comparable to a piece of music. And those lips…

Anyways, there were some perks to her job. She had been shooting glances over to the shop on the other side, hoping to get a look of the florist. One time she looked out the window for so long she didn’t notice the cup of coffee she was pouring running over. Another reason why she wasn’t allowed to handle beverages. 

Dani’s favorite drink was vanilla latte: coffee, steamed milk and a splash of vanilla syrup, maybe and extra shot of espresso or two, she hoped that maybe one day she could invite the florist over for one. 

Since their meeting, Dani had wondered what her name could be, it bothered her to see such a pretty face without a name. It was probably something really English, she thought, like Charlotte, Victoria, Queen Elizabeth or Catherine. Maybe she was of royal descent and had a giant manor somewhere or a sort of flower named after her.

Closing up shop one evening, the blonde swept the floor when she looked up and stopped in her tracks, the florist - Queen Elizabeth, stood on the other side of the street, smoke coming from her mouth and a cigarette in hand. Their eyes met briefly and the English offered a nod towards Dani. She felt herself getting flustered and smiled back.

She quickly turned around to hide her blush, pretending to sweep behind the register, which was all clean since she’d already been there with the broom. A second later, the beautiful florist was gone and Dani felt disappointed… at least she had a well-swept floor.

Come Friday morning, Dani walked through the doors of the coffee shop a couple of minutes extra early, she had also passed the mirror about a hundred times to make sure she looked good for the meeting with the shop owner across the street. 

Turns out all the reflective surfaces in coffee machines and pots come in handy for checking yourself out, even the back of a spoon works alright if you need to see if your hair looks good.

Every day this week, an older man had been standing outside, waiting to be served the second the café opened, apparently he was always let in early by the previous owner, they heard that from him a lot. Well the previous owner would do this and that, she looked at whoever she shared the shift with whenever he said that.

The order was always the same: a cup of earl gray with only a little bit of milk, he would let Dani know if he got too much or too little, and a scone with raspberry marmalade. Her boss seemed to find the old man charming ”reminds me of my grandfather” he said.

After Dani handed over the scone and the tea, not made by her, she immediately started thinking of the florist again. That woman had been on her thought quite a lot the latest days, even more frequently than the old man came to visit. 

A big truck outside the window caught her attention. A man jumped out and started unloading heaps of flowers. Dani could spot roses, lilies, daisies and tulips. The tulips the English woman had ordered just for Dani, well for the coffeeshop really, but she wrote down Dani’s name.

She watched as the doors across the street flew open and the florist came out with a big smile. She shook the man’s hand and said something to him before she started unloading and bringing the flowers inside her shop.

Dani watched as she picked up a crate filled with blue flowers. The left shoulder strap of her overall slid down and the blonde smiled as she failed to get it back up. The next time she came out of the store, she wore gloves. She blew a strand of hair out of her face and went to pick up another crate.

Dani didn’t even notice she had a customer in front of her.

”Hello?” The voice of a lady snapped her out of her florist-trance.

”Oh, sorry!” Dani exclaimed. ”How can I help?” She only listened half-heartedly as she kept staring out the window, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Right before lunch she told her boss she would be going to get the flowers they had ordered. She was feeling a bit nervous, if she was being honest with herself. But who wouldn’t be? In fairness a lot of people would get sweaty hands right before walking up to a gorgeous woman. She pretended to not feel her heart racing.

With a push on the door, the bell above her rang and the owner of the store herself, looked up at Dani from behind a big bouquet of flowers fading from light pink to orange.

”Welcome back, Ms. America.” A lovely voice together with a smirk addressed Dani from across the room.

”Now that’s a title,” Dani took a few steps forward. ”Big delivery today?”

”Got your tulips in from The Netherlands, you better like them.” The florist pushed her bouquet to the side and leaned her arms on the counter. 

”Well, you chose them, so they’re probably good.” The barista smiled.

”Probably? They’re bloody great, I’ll show you what I put together.” She turned around to get something from the back room. ”Tulips are some of the first flowers to bloom in the spring,” she shouted from the other room. ”That gives them rebirth as meaning, which is quite fitting since you just opened up over there.” 

She put one of the crates from earlier on the counter and nodded in the direction of the coffee shop.  
A mix of pink and yellow tulips were neatly put together in frosted glass vases. A thin silk band held them together. 

”They look wonderful, I love them,” Dani smiled ”Thank you…” She trailed off.

”Jamie.” Not Queen Elizabeth filled in. Jamie.

It felt nice for Dani to finally have a name for the beautiful woman in front of her. Jamie. It felt right, she couldn’t wait to taste it on the tip of her tongue and say it out loud. The other woman was now a little bit less of a mystery. The name felt somewhat familiar to her, although she had no idea why that was. Jamie.

”Remember to change the water and let me know when you need them replaced.” 

Dani didn’t want to leave already, she didn’t want their meeting to be over so soon, it had taken her a while to build up courage in the first place (and she had fixed her hair). She wanted to talk to Jamie longer. She had to stall.

”So do the colours of the tulips have any significance?” She asked and looked at Jamie who smirked her usual smile.

”They do, all flowers do. Positive thoughts and happiness, these two.” Jamie looked Dani in the eye. ”Flowers are good at giving messages, of course they can mean what you want them to, but sometimes when you’ve at a loss of words, flowers are really helpful.” She continued.

”Is there a flower that says ’help I’m bored at work and I don’t want to go back”? The blonde asked with a light tone. It was a lie, she wasn’t bored, they had lots to do, but she really wanted to stay a bit longer.

Jamie chuckled.

”I’m afraid not, however I get the feeling that you need a pot of thyme,” Jamie disappeared behind the counter and came back after two seconds with a ceramic pot growing sprigs covered in small, green leaves. ”Strength and courage.” She pushed the pot over to Dani. ”Also works great in bread.” She winked.

Dani felt her cheeks go pink as a result of the florist’s wink. She smiled and managed to get out a ”thank you”.

”There used to be a teashop where you lot reside now. Used to give the old lady there different herbs and leaves. You seem alright, so I thought ”why not be nice to the coffee people as well?’” Jamie tilted her head and smiled at the other woman who still blushed.

”Thank you again. For the flowers and the pot of strength.” Before she could offer to repay the favour with a cup of coffee, the bell rang and a young man walked in.

”I’ll be with ya’ in just a second!” Jamie told her customer before turning her attention back to Dani. ”I’ll see you around then, don’t hesitate to come in for plant advice.”


	3. three

In all fairness, plant advice wasn’t the only thing Jamie wanted to give her. It was nothing she’d admit so shortly after meeting the other woman, but she’d love to see her again. She’d love to sit down and chat, for them to really get to know each other, plus, Jamie wanted a new drinking buddy.

Drinking with her friend Owen, the baker from the patisserie down the street, had recently exchanged his drunken rambling subject from underrated cheeses to the woman he was madly in madly in love with. The worst thing was that he didn’t even realise it, he would just go on and on about how smart, thoughtful, kind, beautiful and other nice words she was. Whenever Owen would be in the same room as his dream woman, Hannah, he’d have this awfully silly smile on his face and he always looked at her as if she were the creator of the universe.

Hannah would mirror his dumb smile and laugh away the compliments he gave her. They were hopeless, Jamie had witnessed this many times. She was getting sick of it. She didn’t want to meddle, that’s not the kind of thing she would do, but she wanted them, so badly, to realise they were in love with each other.

She liked them both a lot and considered them to be her closest friends, other than her darling plants. There was an invisible barrier between the two of them that made them oblivious to the adoration they both had for each other, it was as if they couldn’t even imagine the other having feelings for them, that they didn’t deserve them.

Only Jamie could see that barrier and she could see that they both deserved each other very much. She had many times told Owen, both drunkenly and soberly, that he was the person most deserving of love in the entire world. Owen was always flattered, but never believed the florist’s fond words.

Another drinking buddy would be nice. She had only talked to Dani two times, seen her a lot more, but the American had quickly hit a soft spot somewhere deep inside of her and that wasn’t easy to reach. Jamie had buried that spot a long time ago, dug it down under many layers of dirt and built a big wall around it. It was surrounded by warning signs and barbed wire.

Dani had just waltzed in there, not seeing any signs, tiptoeing around the wall and easily jumped right into the spot. That scared Jamie a little, but she was also intrigued, wanting to know who the blonde woman was, what she liked and disliked, what made her smile and what her lips tasted like.

She found herself thinking of Dani all Friday, wondering what she would be doing that evening, all Saturday, wondering if she’d be with anyone, all Sunday… All weekend, her mind had been drifting to the pretty American woman.  
She’d been thinking of an excuse to see her again, to talk to her again.

The florist had thought of going over to the coffeeshop, absolutely not to give coffee a chance, but to order a cup of mediocre tea, she knew it wouldn’t be as good as from the old shop, and have a chat with the barista she found so interesting.

Maybe she’d catch her on a break and get her to sit down with her, talk about everything, or nothing in particular, Jamie just wanted to see her again. 

She had shared her thoughts with Owen over the weekend, he was very excited she found someone interesting, the words he used were ”crushing on someone” but Jamie wouldn’t be using them.  
He fully supported her plan of going over to get something to drink and hang out with the American. After a few drinks the conversation switched to one about Hannah and her beautiful eyes. Owen found everything about her divine, he could probably make an entire speech about how lovely her left eyebrow was.

On Monday morning Jamie had watered all the potted plants in the shop when she peeked out of the window to catch a glimpse of Dani behind closed doors, taking down chairs from tables. She could walk over, order a cup of tea and use breakfast as the reason she’d go there. She could ask if her thyme had given any effect, make some clever joke about it and smirk, she’d noticed the blonde blushed easily.

She could ask Dani to sit down with her, assuming the place would be empty, she could ask about her day, her weekend, her-

The bell chimed as the door was pushed open and a man looking deprived of sleep walked in. Poor lad seemed stressed.

After two hours of planning the design of a bouquet that seemed liked it would be given to the queen herself, Jamie let out a sigh of relief. The man that came in had been sent by his fiancée to talk about the flowers at their upcoming wedding. As they only decided on what the bouquet would look like after two full hours, they had scheduled a meeting a few days later. The man wanted everything to be perfect, he seemed to be more of a perfectionist than Jamie when it came to flowers. 

That was until she learned that the fiancée had sent the man out to get everything in order for the wedding, she had decided what was being done and she made him do it all. The woman seemed like a control freak.

As soon as he walked out the door, Jamie turned the ”Open” sign and went out herself. Her legs carried her across the street to the new coffeehouse. Through the window she could see Dani looking busy with something, eyebrows furrowed adorably and her bottom lip slightly being chewed on. She opened the door and set her foot at the lot for the first time since the tea shop was in business.

”Coffee giving you a hard time?” She asked, standing in front of the counter.

”You came!” Dani shot up her head and surprisedly exclaimed.

”What?” Jamie was confused. ”You’ve been expecting me?”  
Maybe she’d seen the thousand times Jaime had looked over to her.

”Uh, the guy from the bakery down the road came in this morning with a basket of muffins for the shop.” Dani gestured away towards the bakery.

Oh no.

”Said he was a fortune teller, but then introduced himself as Owen.” Dani continued.

Fucking Owen.

”He told me I would get a surprise visit from the florist across the street.” She smiled.

”Can’t even get breakfast in peace these days, Owen is bloody everywhere. Wish I could escape that man.” Jamie joked, hiding the fear that she’d possibly been ratted out by Owen.

While she wasn’t one to meddle in other people’s relationships, Owen definitely was.

”What can I get you then?” The barista asked chuckling at her customer.

”You any decent at tea? Any sort is fine, won’t go near coffee. I’ll have a muffin as well, but don’t tell Owen about that, don’t want to give him the satisfaction.” The florist leaned on the counter and looked the other woman in the eyes. For a split second she thought she saw an uncertainty in the blonde’s look.

”Uhm…” Dani looked around the coffeeshop, as if looking for someone, although she was the only one who worked there that morning. ”Sure. Just a second.” She turned around to the kettle.

”Gotten any increase in strength or courage lately?” Jamie asked, referring to the thyme she’d gifted her the other day.

”Not really, but it’s been a really cute detail to the counter. Thank you for that, again.” Dani cast a quick glance over her shoulder and flashed a smile.

”No problem, just being neighbourly and all, good to have nice people around.” Jamie stood on her toes to catch a look of Dani’s work. She winced quietly as she watched Dani put way too much sugar into the cup.

”Any luck with the nanny-jobs, Poppins?” Jaime quickly added as she pretended not having seen the crime she just witnessed before her eyes.

”I’m looking for teaching jobs right now, but I’m not finding anything permanent. Might have to start as a substitute, although that would be hard while working here.” She turned around and put the cup down next to the muffin.

Jamie braced herself and skeptically looked at the steaming cup. Dani didn’t seem to notice the look as she swept the money off the counter and put it in the cash registry.

The brunette brought the cup to her lips and blew carefully on the hot water.

Cheers, then.

”Blimey,” she not-so-discreetly cursed. ”Dani, no offense I know you’re American, but this is horrible.” She laughed and put her tea, if it could be called that, back on the counter.

”So I’ve been told,” Dani nervously smiled. ”I’m usually not in charge of the hot drinks, but since I’m the only one here I had no choice.” A small laughter escaped her lips.

Jamie shook her head and smirked.

”So what are you good at then? I’m sure there’s more to you than a pretty face and bad tea-brewing.” Jamie could see Dani’s cheeks change colour as the blonde looked down at her feet.

”I think my talent lies with teaching, I’m pretty good at coming up with creative solutions.” Dani shared. ”Another reason why this job doesn’t really suit me.” 

”Can’t disagree with that. I think you have greater potential, to be honest.” Jamie tossed Owen’s muffin in her hand before she took a bite of it.

”You don’t even know me, you just know that I can’t make tea.” Dani laughed, flustered.

”Yeah, don’t want you trying that ever again, so kids it is, Poppins.” Jamie teased, shooting a wink across the counter.

”Yeah, thanks.” The blonde said in a sarcastic tone in an attempt to seem unbothered, but Jamie could see the blush creeping up her cheeks. 

The bad barista must’ve been a person who got flustered easily, she would blush at almost anything that was said. The florist could just wink at her and her face would turn pink. Unusual. But by now, Jamie had figured out that Dani wasn’t like everyone else, she wasn’t unusual, but rather special. Jamie was set on getting to know the woman better.

The door flew open and a couple ran in, it had started raining outside. They captured the attention of both women and Jamie straightened up.

”Alright then, thanks for the poison, I’ll see you around.” Jamie winked at the other woman and headed for the door.

”Bye…” The American said with a small wave. She then looked over at the couple who seemed completely lost in each other’s gaze. ”What can I get you?”


	4. four

Jamie closed up shop earlier that day, she had a full afternoon planned to eat whatever she could manage to cook without burning up the flat and then flop down on the sofa. She swore she had an unopened bag of crisps somewhere in some cabinet.

She wanted a peaceful afternoon, not necessarily boring, but just perfectly still, tranquil. She liked taking things easy, living without stress or pressure, just floating around in space, taking things as they come.

Dani must have noticed The Leafling was about to close, because before Jamie could turn on the ’open’ sign, the blonde woman carrying two steaming cups came in the door.

”I figured I owed you a proper cup of tea,” She offered one of the cups to Jamie. ”I didn’t make it.”

”Thank God.” The brunette smirked before she brought the cup to her lips.

”Rude.” Dani chuckled. 

”Nah, just a tad cheeky.” She gave the American a quick wink.

Dani scoffed.

”Oh thank you Dani, you’re so kind Dani.” The blonde mocked, pretending to be offended.

”Well,” Jamie put her cup on the counter and looked Dani right in the eye. ”Thank you, my dear lady.” She tilted her head and curtsied. ”You want me to kiss your hand too?”

The other woman just laughed and looked to the ground, a slight blush creeping up her cheeks. Actually, she wouldn’t mind a little kiss. She shook her head gently.

”You came over here just to bring me tea?” The florist took a sip.

”You’ve been so nice to me, so I wanted to repay the favour and I basically owed you a cup of tea. Thought it would be a good idea to come over.” Dani warmed her hands around the cup.

”It was,” The florist took another sip. ”A good idea to come over. Nice with some company.”

”Are you closing the store already?” The American wondered.

”Yeah, couldn’t be arsed with just standing here. No one was coming in today anyways, so I reckoned I could head home earlier.” Jamie backed up against the counter and rested the back of her arms on it.

”It’s been pretty peaceful over at our’s as well. Maybe people are busy today.” The blonde woman took a step towards the florist and became aware of their slight height difference.

”Can’t complain, I like my peace and quiet, Poppins.” Jamie cocked her head a bit and smiled, contently.

It was true, she would always welcome quiet days with open arms. Having nothing hanging over her, stressing her, Jamie was grateful for. Days like these were her favourites. Today, she was so pleased that she didn’t even mind an American practically running into her store, just seconds before closing. She didn’t mind seeing the other woman one bit, in fact, she actually liked it.

She didn’t lie when she said she thought it was nice with some company. She doesn’t always think is it, but when it’s hers, she really can’t complain. Jamie found herself at ease in the company of the blonde, she’d quickly taken a liking to her.

Usually, she’d call herself a loner, preferred the still, muted surroundings to busy, loud ones. Also preferred calm company to stirring company, simply preferred plants to people. Plants would never hurt her, disappoint her or annoy her.

Dani would be annoyingly cute, whether it’d be with her dumb accent, the fluttering of her long eyelashes, the endearing pink blush on her cheeks or the heavenly smile of hers. However, that didn’t bother the loner, not in the slightest. 

Attraction to other people often betrayed her. She didn’t like to think much about it, that’s why she never allowed herself to be drawn to all of the appealing women she’s met over various days in various places. She would not allow herself to feel attracted to Dani either.

Sure, she was pretty. There was a certain glow around her that Jamie couldn’t quite put her finger on. There was also the way she would squint her eyes when she laughed, a laugh that probably was the most beautiful sound on earth. She bet Mozart turned in his grave for not being able to create a melody similar to it.

There was also the way she’d tuck a stray stand of hair behind her ear when she felt nervous, Jamie had seen her do that multiple times during their meetings. She had noticed the way the blonde had struggled to keep eye contact without blushing when Jamie came over for breakfast. She had noticed that Dani seemed to be constantly smiling.

But that didn’t necessarily mean Jamie was attracted to her. She could, just like anyone, simply admire the other woman’s beauty. There didn’t have to be anything more to it.

”So what do you usually do when you’re enjoying your peace and quiet?” Dani asked, genuinely interested in learning more about the brunette.

”Nothing too interesting. Do some gardening, put on a record, have a cuppa, sometimes I do a bit of reading. Not very fascinating, I suppose.” She said while reaching for an ornamental silk ribbon to fiddle with.

”And when you’re not feeling like peace and quiet?” The blonde pushed.

”Are you trying to make me admit that I’m not boring?” The English woman looked down at the now untied band in her hands. ”I go out. And drink. Lots.” She winked. ”It’s not a problem, Poppins, it’s the English way.” Jamie looked up and let out a laugh.

That had earned a laugh from the slightly taller woman as well. The sound that escaped her mouth was captivating, Jamie was sure she could listen to it all day, it made her feel a certain way.

”I’ve been surprised by the amount of people who want their coffee Irish, especially when it’s early in the day.” Dani locked her eyes with the florist’s.

”It’s always five o’clock somewhere, darling.” Jamie replied.

Dani’s heart skipped a beat at that. She had also been surprised by the casual use of terms of endearment over here. She hadn’t really been called ’darling’ by someone outside of her family, except for that nice lunch lady in middle school. It came as minor shock to her every time she heard it, especially when it came from Jamie’s lips.

She had tried not to think too much of Jamie’s lips. It was just that they looked really kissable and she often found herself imagining what they tasted like and what they would feel like against her own. She had a hunch the brunette was a good kisser, she had probably had a lot of experience. 

An unsettling feeling grew from somewhere within the American’s stomach when thinking of all the other people Jamie could have possibly kissed. Were they prettier than Dani? Had Jamie been in love with any of them? Had any been girls? Had they all been girls? Did Jamie like it?

Anyway, she had tried not to think too much of it.

”Are there a lot of places around here to drink?” Dani asked, hoping the other woman would give her a recommendation.

”Of course there are, love, do you know where you are?” Jamie chuckled and shook her head.

There was that shock again, being called ’darling’ and ’love’ by a gorgeous, very charming woman was completely new to her. She wanted to get used to it, because it left her with a really pleasant feeling. She was temped to casually ask Jamie out for a drink, not on a date, just to show Dani a bit of town, she was new here after all, it probably wouldn’t seem suspect.

Jamie was scared the conversation was heading somewhere she wasn’t ready for quite yet. It would be nice to see Dani outside of their workplaces sometime, she couldn’t deny that, but she was not prepared for that. She couldn’t tell what Dani’s intentions were and that made her wary.

Jamie could not go out with a breathtaking woman for a drink. With alcohol in her blood, she often became much less careless, which never served her well. It’s important to be careful around attractive women, they usually have way too much control over her and she knows there’s nothing she can do about that. Nothing other than avoiding the situation completely.

”Thanks for the tea. It was nice chatting to you, but if you excuse me, I need to go home to a little peace and quiet.” Jamie stood upright and bit her lip.

”Alright, I’ll let you to it then.” Dani said, admittedly disappointed.

They made their way to the door and the florist held it up for the American.

”Enjoy your stillness.” A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She looked at the other woman who had just locked the door.

”Oh believe me, I will.” Jamie flashed a smile. ”Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow.” She said, more of a statement than a question.

She wished to see the blonde tomorrow.


	5. five

Jamie lived above a charming little pub, not too far away from her flower shop. The flat wasn’t very big, but the rent was decent and it was right next to a tube stop. She’d lived there for a couple of years now and never bothered too look for anything else, she was perfectly content with staying there.

She was a regular at the pub and a very good friend of the owner. Neither of them talked much, they just drank and exchanged pleasantries and nods. She liked him very much.

He probably liked her because she visited at least three times a week and left at closing hours after having drunken her body weight. That’s one of the perks of living above a pub, even if they kick you out, you’re just a step away from home.

She knew most of the staff and they always happily cheered when she came in. Today was not different, she was met with a ’Hello there, Jamie!’ As soon as she walked though the door. 

As she’d suspected, the room was almost empty, since it was in the middle of the week. Another pair of regulars, two old northern Irish men, sat in their usual corner playing cards and drinking whiskey. She didn’t really think much of the other people, she was there on a mission - to have a nice couple of drinks.

”Afternoon, Thomas.” She nodded at the barkeep, the owner’s oldest son.

”Good afternoon, Jamie.” He put down the glass he’d been polishing. ”What can I get you?”

”Gin. Neat.” She sat down on a barstool and offered a smile at the bartender.

”Someone’s having a rough day?” He chuckled.

”Oh fuck off, can’t a woman just enjoy a drink without any questions?” Jamie playfully scoffed at him.

”Alright, then. Tanqueray?” The barkeep asked before holding up a bottle.

”Pour me one, eh?” Jamie said and slid a few quid across the counter.

She happily accepted the drink and started sipping on it. The sour lime wedge countered the bitter drink and her tongue was met with citrus and slight heat. 

A drink like this usually lasted for a while, it wasn’t one she’d down in one go, she saved some money on that. Sipping on her drink, she started watching the people around her that she hadn’t paid attention to earlier.

Three younger men were playing dart over by the restrooms, awful placing, you go to take a piss and then get a dart in your eye. Jamie was genuinely surprised that no accidents had happened there yet.

The clock had barely turned seven and she heard an Irish accent call ’Your shout!” And she was soon accompanied by an older man at the bar, asking for another round. The two men were always here whenever Jamie came down, she could not think of one day where they hadn’t been. Practically lived here, the two of them.

A young woman sat by herself, empty glass next to her, she kept checking the watch on her wrist. She was probably waiting for someone, had she been here a long time? Hopefully, the poor lass wasn’t being stood up, that’s never fun.

Two middle-aged women came in the door laughing, they sounded like they were celebrating something. One of them waved to the bartender and the other went to sit down at a table.

”Oi, Tom,” Jamie called, astounded that her drink was already gone. ”Get me a pint, will you?”

”Coming up!” He answered

”Thank you.” She looked over her shoulder to see that the two old paddies had been joined by another man.

She swallowed a mouthful of her drink and noticed that Thomas, the barkeep, lingered.

”Is this new?” The people who worked here usually knew what types and brands of beer Jamie liked, this wasn’t one she recognised.

”Yeah.” The bartender said with a smile. ”You like it?”

”Not too bad, actually.” Jamie replied and tasted it again.

”A mate brews it just outside of town, I’ve helped him with the taste. We’re the only place that sells it for now, but I’m going to recommend it to customers and hope that other pubs will ask for it.” He looked proud.

”Good job there, Tommy, don’t be surprised if I order it again.” The florist shot him a wink.

He was definitely more talkative than his father, but he was always full of beans and sweet as sugar, so she didn’t really mind. He sometimes felt like somewhat of a brother to her.

She no longer had any contact with her brothers, or with her family at all. She wasn’t that close with her older brother, but her younger one was her best friend for a long time. They had drifted apart and that really disappointed her, she had really cared for him.

Having Thomas around was nice. Their relationship was close to what a brother and sister might have and she would only have to see him when she came to the bar. She really liked this elective-family thing.

Turning around again, drink in hand, to get a look of the people around her, she noticed a familiar face at the door. A pretty blonde woman was looking occupied with taking off her coat, to Jamie’s luck not having had time too look over at the bar.

Dani was there, and Jamie was not prepared to talk to her. She liked seeing her, it was just that she was caught a bit off guard. She poured down her drink and quickly motioned for Thomas to refill it, which he happy obliged to. The brunette turned around and took a deep breath as to steady herself.

”Do you come here often?” Dani took a seat next to her, smiling. Jamie snorted.

”Actually,” She started, looking smug. ”I live right above.” Jamie pointed to the ceiling.

Dani wasn’t anticipating that in response, she probably thought Jamie would make some joke, she could see that by the expression on her face. That blush she was now so familiar with had started to appear on her soft, pretty cheeks again.

”I… uh.” The blonde stammered. ”I didn’t know.” A nervous laugh left her lips.

”Traded coffee for alcohol, now have you? In the middle of the week as well?” Jamie teased.

”Well, I thought I’d go out for just a glass of wine and since you gave me no useful bar-tips, I asked Owen.” Dani looked at the woman next to her and then to the man behind the bar. ”A glass of red, please.”

”And that’s how you ended up here,” Jamie said, mostly to herself. ”Owen.”

Of course Owen led her here, it’s not like it’s the fanciest or most popular pub in London, you wouldn’t really go here unless you knew about the place. It was a nice place, Jamie’s favourite, in fact, but that also had a bit to do with her living above it. It was a nice place, but not typically the place you’d go if you weren’t familiar with the area.

”Well,” Jamie decided to show a little bravery. ”Cheers to Owen, then.” She held up her glass just as Dani had gotten hers filled.

”Cheers.” Dani, sounding awfully American, responded.

”Well, Poppins, you’ve almost become an official Londoner, going out to pubs and all.” Jamie was halfway there to emptying her glass.

”Almost?” Dani asked, chuckling. ”What do I have to do to become one then?”

”I wouldn’t know, I’m not one of them.” The brunette smirked and raised her glass.

”You’re not from here?” Dani wondered.

Jamie scoffed.

”Do I bloody sound like I’m from here?” She laughed and shook her head.

”I think you do!” The American defended. ”You sound like one of those ’proper cockneys, mate’” She imitated… some… accent and the florist burst out laughing.

”You don’t know what you’re talking about, Miss America.” She finished her glass and put her hands on the table. ”But you know what? I can help you become a real English-woman.” Jamie waved for the bartender to come over. ”And the biggest step on your journey is having a proper drink.”

”I haven’t even finished this one.” Dani smiled and looked Jamie in the eyes.

”Down it then.” She shot her a wink before turning her attention to Thomas. ”A Pimm’s for her and one for me, but tone it down a bit on the lemonade, eh?”

The bartender smiled and turned around.

”Don’t worry, it’s on me.” Jamie looked back at the woman accompanying her.

”Thank you, Jamie.” Dani smiled.

A buzz shut through her body, hearing the blonde say her name. Her name sounded more gorgeous than it ever has, leaving Dani’s lips. She had no idea the American could make a name as boring as her own sound that pretty.

The name itself wasn’t very special, but the woman saying it certainly was. The name seemed to fit very well on her lips, the tip of her tongue, Jamie wondered what else would feel good there.

”What did you get me, should I be worried?” Dani asked as the two women got their drinks.

”Try it, it’s sweet. It’s got strawberries in it.” Jamie nodded to the drink and then took a sip of her own. Her drink had the fruits and the mint, but lacked lemonade.

Dani gulped down the rest of her wine and moved on to her new drink. It did have a sweet taste, fruity, slices of strawberries and apple floating in it, topped by a mint leaf. She liked it.

”It’s good, I understand why you English drink so much.” Dani laughed.

”That and all the pleasant side effects.” Jamie added. Liquid courage, she thought. ”I’ll get us another round.” She waved at the bartender again, pointed to their glasses and shot him a smile.

”We just got these!” The blonde exclaimed.

”If you want to be truly English, you’ve got to keep up the tempo, love.” Jamie said and took a big sip. 

She knew what she was doing to the other woman, she knew what her words were doing to her. Jamie just had to call her ’love’ and her cheeks would softly go pink. Jamie was interested in her, she couldn’t deny that at all. Liquid courage.

Like a true woman, Jamie could handle her liquor well. She was only a little tipsy, and knew it would take more for her to become drunk, but that wasn’t the goal for today. Today, just like any other day, she came for some after-work, just looking to relax a little bit.

However, she did not know the American’s limit. She decided it would be best not to pressure her into any more after this next Pimm’s.

Jamie’s glass was quickly empty and she looked for the bartender, bottles in his hands, behind the bar. She could drink more, but maybe it was for the best to slow down after this, just continue with a pint or a cider.

”So, tell me, Poppins,” Jamie started. ”Who are you?”

”What do you mean? I’m Dani, I work across the street from you.” Dani answered, puzzled.

”No I know that, but who are you really? What’s your story?” An amused Jamie asked.

The bartender came with their drinks and Jamie swiftly reached for hers, Dani’s was still almost full.

”Well,” The blonde readied herself, taking a big gulp of her drink. ”I usually know what I want and what’s right for me. I’ve always been sure in my career, as a teacher, not a barista. It was my certainty that lead me to moving here.” She brought her glass to her lips and swallowed again. ”After I called of my wedding with my now ex-fiancé.”

There it was, the story that Jamie was looking for. She wasn’t going to press any further and ask why they broke up.

”I just knew that he wasn’t right for me. We were together for so many years and it never really felt right.” Dani sighed. ”I’m just glad to started over here, started a new life without the pressure of the people back home. They wanted to decide my life for me and I’m so happy that I’m the only one who gets to do that now.” The American smiled. ”I’m happy I don’t have to think of them anymore.”

”To new beginnings.” Jamie raised her half full glass.

”To new beginnings.” Dani repeated, with a sound of relief escaping her lips.

”I know how it is.” The brunette looked at the other woman. ”To want to get away and just start from the beginning. I know the feeling of freedom that comes with it when you finally do, the ease.” They locked eyes.

”It’s great.” The blonde almost whispered. She was happy someone else understood her. ”Have you got a similar story then?” She then asked.

Jamie let the last of her drink run down her throat.

”I’m going out for a fag, fancy coming with?” Jamie ignored her question.

She didn’t wait for an answer, she just got up and walked out. Her story was not a topic for tonight. Jaime didn’t have to wait for an answer, because Dani had just grabbed her drink before heading off after the brunette.

It had already gotten dark outside and the street was lit only by a few lanky lampposts and the light from inside the shops.

The florist elegantly lit the cigarette and put it between her lips. She inhaled the smoke and felt it go into her lungs, warm, tickling her on the way down, before she exhaled a big cloud.

She took it out of her mouth an offered it to the woman next to her. Without hesitating, Dani took it and brought it to her lips.

”Didn’t think pretty girls like you smoked.” Jamie said, leaning against the pub wall.

”And still you offered me your cigarette.” Dani gave it back to her.

”Well, I’m a gentlewoman, I’ve got manners.” Jamie smirked.

”Buying women drinks and sharing cigarettes… quite a gentlewoman, yeah.” Dani laughed.

”Not to just anyone, though.” The florist took a step closer to Dani. ”I’m also really picky.”

It was dark, but she could still make out the faint blush covering the blonde’s entire face. She held out the cigarette again and let her fingers linger when they gently brushed against the other woman’s.

The American accepted the cigarette and drew in the smoke while pondering what to say back. She blew a small cloud of smoke in the brunette’s face, before lifting her glass to her lips.

How easily she could lean in for a kiss, standing that close, Jamie thought. Only a few centimeters were between their mouths.

Jamie put herself even closer to the blonde, and gently took her cigarette back. She could feel Dani’s breath on her, smelling like gin and fruit, sweet, just like her. She took a long drag before putting the cigarette out in the empty glass.

”Better be heading home.” Jamie said, lowly.

She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss against the corner of Dani’s mouth.

”European goodbye.” She explained with a wink, then turning around, leaving Dani with her jaw dropped.


	6. six

When she said she’d thought about the kiss on the cheek all night, Dani wasn’t kidding. It was the single thing that had occupied her thoughts for multiple hours, remembering the soft breath on her, the closeness of the two women’s faces and the spark of electricity that shot through her body at the touch of Jamie’s lips.

It was the thing she thought of when she came home, the thing she thought about when she showered, brushed her teeth. It was the last thing she thought of before she fell asleep and it somehow made its way into her dreams as well.

The event hadn’t exactly escaped Jamie’s mind either, she had had a hard time focusing on anything else. She almost surprised herself with the bold move. Almost. However, she decided it was the right thing to do, after a wee bit of thinking. She made a mental note to thank Owen for leading Dani to the pub.

She could not wait to see her American friend the following day.

Unfortunately, the florist couldn’t just abandon her post to waltz over to where the blonde was, only a couple of meters away from her. It was bothersome, really, to be so close to her, yet unable to talk to her. The cobble street between them could might as well have been an entire ocean and Jamie couldn’t leave her lighthouse to greet the ship floating out in the waves.

A window shopper looked at some potted plants in the corner of the shop, so the florist was basically alone, which gave her plenty of time to glance over to the coffeehouse, hoping to get a look at the blonde she’d recently gotten to know.

Jamie was very devoted to her work, she literally poured her soul into every bouquet she made, every plant she potted, but she couldn’t help being distracted by that one very intriguing woman. She was always focused and hard working, but there was nothing she could do about her thoughts slipping away sometimes.

Across the violent sea that was the street, Owen appeared, it wasn’t unusual for him to drop off baked goods there. He was making his way over to Jamie, a sailor in a little lifeboat. With a grin on his face, almost covered by his mustache, he opened the door.

”Good morning,” He held up a small paper bag and a takeaway mug. ”Delivery for a Miss Jamie Taylor.”

”Morning, Owen.” Jamie greeted and reached for the bag to look inside of it.

”Breakfast sandwich,” Owen declared. ”However,” He quickly moved on. ”The tea’s not from me. It’s a gift from a very happy young American in a certain coffeeshop.” He grinned widely.

”Right,” A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. ”Thanks.” She nodded.

Owen leaned over the counter and rested his chin on his hands.

”You didn’t happen to stumble upon anyone fitting that description yesterday, say in a pub?” He raised his eyebrows.

”You just can’t mind your own fucking business, can you?” Jamie smiled to herself and shook her head.

”Well, how did it go?” Owen wondered, his grin reaching his ears.

”Had a few drinks, talked a bit, nothing special.” The florist looked out the window.

”She definitely seemed to think it was something special.” The baker nodded towards the shop across the street. ”Wouldn’t stop smiling the entire time I was there and she thanked me for the pub recommendation.”

”Yeah, well I had a nice time.” Jamie said, not wanting to share any details.

”Alright then, as a batter of fact, I knead to get back to the bakery.” Owen pushed himself up off the counter.

Jamie didn’t scoff or roll her eyes at his god awful baking puns as usual, her mind was somewhere else, with someone else. She quickly reached for a pen and looked around for a piece of paper.

”Seriously, dough. Cakes won’t bake themselves.” The baker searched for eye contact with the woman.

”Do me a favour, eh?” Jamie said after she’d scribbled something down. ”Hand this over to Dani on your way back, will you?” She asked.

Owen’s face lit up again. He snatched the note folded in half before he strolled out. Right before exiting, he gave Jamie a thumbs up and hummed along to some song only he seemed to hear.

The door to the coffeeshop flew open and caught the attention of both the customers and the baristas.

”Mail for Dani!” The baker from down the street exclaimed in a sing-songy voice, slid a piece of paper across the counter and pranced back the way he came without another word.

Confused murmurs came from an elderly couple having tea in the sofa, Dani could make out something about ’manners’ and ’mailmen these days’.

Her coworker’s eyes fell on the note as he emptied the coffeepot.

”Well, are you going to read it?” He asked her. 

She knew it was from Jamie. Owen had just been there and if he had written it himself, he would have given her it the first time he came over.

”Yeah.” Dani chuckled quietly.

Going for lunch at 12.30, fancy joining me?

Jamie x

The familiar feeling of blushing washed over her and she read the note again. Was she being asked out on a date? Or was it just a friendly lunch? Should she go home and change clothes for it?

”Can take my break half an hour later today?” She asked without takeing her eyes off the note.

”Sure.” She got in response, no questions asked.

Time seemed to stand still, but maybe that had to do with English timezones? No matter how many times she looked at the clock, the hands never seemed to move. Maybe it was broken? She raised her left arm to check her watch and was disappointed when it showed the same result as the clock on the wall.

She was sure some timetraveller had picked out this moment to stop the time just to mess with her. It wasn’t exactly fair, she thought. What had she ever done to the timetraveller?

After an eternity of serving customers and waiting for the lunch break, her boss acknowledged the blonde’s fixation with the clock.

”You know, it’s not going to go faster because you look at it. You might even break it with that intense stare of yours.” The man filling a kettle with water said.

Dani just sighed. It was fifteen past twelve.

”You can go now if you want, I’ll be fine here.” Her boss said when he saw Dani’s frown.

”Are you sure?” Her face lit up. ”Thank you so much.”

She threw off her apron and made her way to the bathroom to check herself out in the mirror. Hair was looking alright, no stains on the shirt, thanks to the apron. She turned the tap and let the water flow down her hands in an attempt to wash the nervousness away. It didn’t really work, not that she actually expected it to.

She decided it was alright to feel a little nervous, it was natural. Having lunch/a potential date with a charming, witty, not to mention hot woman was enough to make anyone shaky. But what if she had read the situation entirely wrong? Maybe Jaime just wanted to be friends, nothing more, maybe that was why she asked Dani to lunch - to clarify that.

Dani tried not to overthink things, not that she usually was very successful, but she really tried. This was a situation she easily could overthink, thought that could stay with her for days. But no, that was not going to be the situation.

She was proud of herself to have made a new friend in this foreign country. She came here all alone, knowing no one and she had already landed herself a lunch with a nice woman. This was an accomplishment.

With the most confidence she could muster up, she left the bathroom to walk out to wait for Jamie outside. It was a typical London day, she’d come to learn. A little windy and grey clouds covering the sky, threatening to release rain to those walking underneath them.

The florist came out and smiled at her. She wondered if there was such a thing as a ’European hello’.

”Hi.” Dani stuffed her hands in the pockets of her jacket, unsure what to do with them.

”Hey,” Jamie answered, locking the door. ”Thanks for coming with me.”

”So where are you taking me?” Dani curiously asked.

”It’s not far, nice little place. I can’t cook for the life of me, so I usually head down there to eat.” Jamie turned around and put the keys in her pocket. ”Only takes a few minutes to walk there.”

”So you judge me for not being able to make tea, but it’s perfectly acceptable for you not knowing how to cook?” Dani asked, humored.

”That’s about right, love.” Jamie nodded and started walking. ”Thanks for the tea, not made by you, this morning.” The brunette looked over at Dani and gave her a sincere smile.

”You paid for several of my drinks last night, it was the least I could do.” Dani hoped the other woman would mention what happened the previous night.

”Let me know if you wanna grab a drink again sometime, I’m there all the time anyways. Also they let me stay after last call.” Jamie smiled and kicked away a small stone in front of her.

The American chuckled, she’d very much like to have a drink with her again.

”You sound really proud of that.” Dani laughed.

”Yeah, I’m chuffed. It’s the dream.” The brunette nodded and flashed a smile.

”You sound like a teenage boy.” Dani teased.

Jamie gasped dramatically.

”Are you questioning my maturity, Miss Clayton?” She squinted her eyes and furrowed her brows.

”Just slightly, although compared to Owen, I guess you’re not that bad.” The taller of the two giggled.

”Yeah, poor lad can’t go a second without making some bad pun only he finds funny.” Jamie scoffed.

”I find him charming.” The blonde said. ”He’s always so cheerful.”

”I have no time for happiness and jokes.” Jamie declared. ”I’m dreadfully serious at all times. Can’t understand that man for the life of god.” She deadpanned.

Dani chuckled at that. They walked past a park that probably looked better in sunlight. People were sitting on the benches, some were walking their dogs, umbrella in hand ready in case of a downpour. A young couple stood under a tree, sharing a cigarette.

”And we’re here.” Jamie stopped.

They had arrived outside a red stock brick building with a small outdoor dining area. A weather worn sign above the door probably held the name of the restaurant, but Dani couldn’t see what it said. 

The florist opened the door and held out her arm.

”Ladies first.”


	7. chapter seven

It didn’t come as a surprise that Jamie’s favourite restaurant was covered in plants, that woman would probably live inside a tree if she could. Soft music was coming through the speakers, probably by some English band Dani didn’t know yet. 

The place had a homely feeling, strengthened by all the live candles and the big dog lying in the corner, looking up at the pair. There was a different flower on every table and old paintings covered the walls.

Dani really liked the whole vibe of the restaurant, but she couldn’t think of it too much as she couldn’t help but turn all her attention to the fact that she was having lunch with the florist from across the street, who she very much had a crush on.

She hadn’t even so much as glanced at the menu, she was too occupied with studying the beautiful woman on the other side of the little table. She had taken off her jacket and leaned back in her chair, comfortable and relaxed.

Eventually she had to think of what she wanted to eat. The small menu stood on the table showed dishes like fish’n’chips, shepherds pie and toad in the hole. Awfully English, Dani thought.

”What the fuck is a ’toad in the hole’? I thought it was a French thing to eat frogs.” Dani chuckled.

”Sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter, tastes better than it sounds.” The brunette offered a smirk.

”Yeah I won’t be trying that.” Dani said, looking at the amused Brit. 

”Get something that sounds good then, lunch’s on me today.” Jamie said looking at Dani, ignoring the menu. She didn’t have to look at it, she’d been here many times enough to learn it by heart. She happened to be very passionate about food - eating, not cooking.

”Oh you don’t have-” Dani was cut off by the florist.

”I forced you to come with me, of course I’ll pay.” Jamie only half-joked.

But Dani hadn’t been forced at all, she was here by every bit of her own will. Jamie didn’t need to force her, she’d follow her to the end of the world. 

”Excuse me, I’m here because I want to.” The blonde countered.

”You ready to order?” A bored looking teenage boy asked, notepad in hand.

”Aye, I’ll have a beer to start with and Lancashire hotpot. Tell Mary I said hi, yeah?”

Dani smiled at the boy as he wrote down the order, getting ready to take the American’s as well. Jamie’s eyes traced the curve of her jaw all the way down to the purple turtleneck jumper she was wearing. She then moved on to Dani’s pink lips, keeping the smile as she spoke, Jamie didn’t get a word of her order.

What she said wasn’t as important as the way her lips moved when she talked, the way the corners of them curved upwards and the way her tongue fell between her teeth. Her smile gave Jamie enough joy to last a century and it spread like wildfire, leading to the brunette subconsciously mirroring it.

Apparently Jamie was housing a family of butterflies in her stomach. It didn’t feel right at all, they didn’t pay rent and she wanted them out. They’d moved in very recently and only seemed to be home whenever a certain blonde woman would smile. Jamie would definitely evict them.

She did recognise the unpleasant feeling and she knew it was a side effect of attraction. There was nothing wrong with feeling attraction, she had no problem at all admitting that she was interested in the other woman, but she was a little nervous it would grow stronger and develop into something else.

But worrying does no good, that’s why those feelings always should be repressed and bottled up.

”What?” Dani asked with a puzzled look on her face.

”What?” Jamie snapped out of her trance.

”You were staring.” The blonde asked with a raise of her eyebrows.

”How rude of me, then. Got lost in some thoughts.” Jamie shook her head.

”What thoughts?” Dani pushed.

”What lunch is going to taste like.” The florist lied and earned a laugh from across the table. ”Hey, don’t laugh, that’s actually very important to me.”

”Sure, sorry.” Dani laughed, not meaning it at all.

Jamie chuckled and drew a hand through her brown curls. It seemed that the butterfly family was now having a rave. She could still not get over how pretty Dani’s laugh was and how divine it sounded, she also noticed how the American softly bit her lip to stop herself from grinning. Jamie let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

The brunette didn’t do a lot of talking during lunch, or the walk back to work for that matter, she mostly just listened to what Dani had to say, laughing and smiling in response. As much as she listened, she took in every single feature of the other woman. 

She noticed how her eyebrows would furrow when she was thinking and how she would leave her mouth slightly open between sentences. She had unsteady eyes, her look always darted back and forth from things in the room to Jamie’s eyes to Jamie’s lips. Jamie felt quite proud of noticing the latter. 

She gripped her glass from above and sipped from it as she maintained eye contact with the English woman. Jamie had never seen eyes so blue before, a piece of heaven probably resided in them, she knew of no other plausible explanation other than that.

Her long, dark eyelashes fluttered whenever Jamie spoke and her cheeks would turn pink after all the cheeky remarks. The florist was addicted to seeing her smile. Every time Jamie said something that made the blonde smile, something in her head was triggered and activated the reward system. She wanted to keep seeing it again and again.

The rush of dopamine released when Dani laughed couldn’t be compared with anything Jamie had tried before. This drug would be dangerous if it weren’t for the fact that it was completely harmless, it only caused Jamie good.

Back outside the coffeeshop, Jamie felt a little lightheaded from all the adoration and her cheeks were almost sore from smiling. This little crush of hers wasn’t especially little anymore. It was Jamie’s turn to blush when they came to a halt and Dani grabbed one of her hands.

The blonde swallowed and looked as if she was contemplating on doing something terrifying. Jamie had learned she was a lot braver than she first had thought.

”So…” Jamie started but drifted off, distracted by how dangerously close Dani was standing. She saw the other woman’s eyes focus on her mouth, but was still surprised when she finally closed the distance and captured her lips in a kiss.

No matter how many times Jamie had thought about kissing the other woman, she wouldn’t come close to how soft, how wonderful, how right it would actually feel. She swore Dani’s lips had been molded specifically to fit hers.

The brunette reached up to tuck a strand of blonde hair behind Dani’s ear and softly rested her hand on the back of her neck, pulling her somewhat closer. She felt the American’s hands on both of her arms, a steady but gentle grip.

Dani eventually pulled back and searched for Jamie’s eyes.

”Can I ask you out for real?” Dani exhaled loudly and asked.

”Yeah.” Jamie nodded with a grin on her lips. ”Yeah you can.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading this. it's finished as of now, but maybe i'll add to it later if i come up with anything.  
> i have started writing another dani/jamie story that will be up shortly. i've had this idea in mind for quite a bit and I hope it turns out the way i imagine it.


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